Aletris farinosa Linnaeus. Common name: Northern White Colic-root, Mealy Colic-root, Stargrass. Phenology: Late Apr-Jun; Jul-Sep. Habitat: Pine savannas, pine flatwoods, seepage bogs, mafic fens and barrens, upland hardpan woodlands and savannas, sandy woodlands, meadows, "salt meadows" (Tatnall 1946), roadbanks. Distribution: S. ME, s. ON, and se. MN south to s. GA, FL (Wunderlin & Hansen 2011), LA (and e. TX), the only species of the genus not restricted (or very nearly so) to the Coastal Plain.
Origin/Endemic status: Native
Synonymy ⓘ: = Ar, C, Can, ETx1, F, FNA26, G, GW1, Il, K4, Mi, NE, NS, NY, Pa, POWO, RAB, S, S13, Tat, Tn, Tx, Va, W, WH3, Spaulding et al (2021), Weigant (2002), Zomlefer (1997b). Basionym: Aletris farinosa L. 1753
Links to other floras: = Aletris farinosa - FNA26
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Wetland Indicator Status:
- Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain: FAC
- Eastern Mountains and Piedmont: FAC
- Great Plains: FAC
- Midwest: FAC
- Northcentral & Northeast: FAC
Heliophily ⓘ: 8
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© Bruce A. Sorrie | Original Image ⭷
© Will Stuart | Original Image ⭷
© Bruce A. Sorrie | Original Image ⭷
© Will Stuart | Original Image ⭷Feedback
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Horticultural Information
Intro: Scapose, rhizomatous perennial of pine savannas, pine flatwoods, seepage bogs, mafic fens and barrens, upland woodlands and road banks.
Stems: Stem an unbranched, mostly naked flowering scape with a few small bracts, rising from the center of a basal rosette.
Leaves: Leaves spreading-ascending in a basal rosette, lance-shaped, 1 1/2-7 1/2 in. long, yellowish green.
Inforescence:
Flowers: Flowers in a spike-like raceme occupying the top 4-14 in. of the scape, white, ¼-3/8 in. long, cylindric to urn-shaped, composed of 6 fused petals that at full bloom flare into 6 pointed lobes; there is a slight constriction of the tube just below the lobes, and the tube's outer surface is granular-bumpy.
Fruits: Fruit a beaked, oval capsule containing tiny reddish-brown seeds.
Comments: The similar Aletris obovata has slightly smaller flowers (less than ¼ in. long) in which the corolla lobes remain closed, giving it a rounded tip; it is restricted to coastal pine savannas at the southern end of our range.
Height: 1-3.5 ft.
plant sale text: White colicroot is a perennial herb and member of the lily family that resembles the orchid, nodding ladies'-tresses (Spiranthes cernua). It has grass-like leaves that are topped by a round stem with a spike-like cluster of small white, urn-shaped flowers. White colicroot spreads by means of underground rhizomes and forms rosettes of leaves. Traditionally, the roots were gathered and used to treat colic.
bloom table text:
description: Scapose, rhizomatous perennial of pine savannas, pine flatwoods, seepage bogs, mafic fens and barrens, upland woodlands and road banks.
stems: Stem an unbranched, mostly naked flowering scape with a few small bracts, rising from the center of a basal rosette.
leaves: Leaves spreading-ascending in a basal rosette, lance-shaped, 1 1/2-7 1/2 in. long, yellowish green.
inflorescence:
flowers: Flowers in a spike-like raceme occupying the top 4-14 in. of the scape, white, ¼-3/8 in. long, cylindric to urn-shaped, composed of 6 fused petals that at full bloom flare into 6 pointed lobes; there is a slight constriction of the tube just below the lobes, and the tube's outer surface is granular-bumpy.
fruits: Fruit a beaked, oval capsule containing tiny reddish-brown seeds.
comments: The similar Aletris obovata has slightly smaller flowers (less than ¼ in. long) in which the corolla lobes remain closed, giving it a rounded tip; it is restricted to coastal pine savannas at the southern end of our range.
cultural notes:
germination code: 2, 4
native range: eastern North America
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